Cluny in Catalonia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article looks at aspects of the history of the Cluniac Order in medieval Catalonia. It discusses the arrival of Cluniac monasticism in Catalan lands and traces its spread via the five monasteries affiliated to Cluny in the region, considering their relationship with each other, with the mother house in Burgundy, with the ecclesiastical authorities, with society, and with the Jewish community. Crucially, it addresses a number of key questions: why were there so few Cluniac houses in medieval Catalonia, and why have these been so under-studied by historians to date when other religious groups in the region have attracted much attention from scholars across the disciplines? What emerges is a picture of a small group of monasteries of moderate size and wealth, but that were firmly part of the monastic landscape of medieval Catalonia and formed integral parts of the country's religious and social networks.